"That rumbling sound you hear when a group of bikes come together is not noise, it is the harmony of brotherhood and sisterhood coming together for purpose and cause." – Unkown.

Menu

About

Hi there and welcome to the Bike Addict blog. I started this blog to share a glimpse of the motorcycling lifestyle here in South Africa. Joined by a fresh face in the motorcyclist community, my friend and colleague also shares his takes on what it means the be a new rider in a well established biker culture here in South Africa.

The Bike Addict crew

The Motorcycle addict

Credit to Anxiety on Wheels for capturing this image.

I’ve been riding bikes since age 13, legally driving since age 16. My biking journey started with me on the back of a Conti 250cc that my father had won in a raffle a few months after my thirteenth birthday. From there I rode with him on the back of several bikes as he grew tired of the small displacement and wanted something more powerful.

My personal riding story starts a few months after my sixteenth birthday, after passing my learners license test. My father had decided to surprise me with a brand new Honda CBF 125 cc, the exact same one that I had my eye on when browsing a few weeks before my test. The riding bug bit hard when I turned the key for the first time.

Several years later, also growing tired of the lack of power in the small displacement single cylinder, I found a heavily neglected Honda VFR 400cc in a garage I was cleaning out. I tracked down the original owner and purchased what was left of the bike. Now fully rebuilt, the little machine is now my daily driver and weekend getaway in the biking lifestyle.

I prefer riding over driving (in a car), therefore I tend to clock a lot of distance on my bike in a fairly short time. Riding gives one a sense of freedom, something one would not experience in a car.

I’ve also been part of several motorcycle clubs (some good, some bad) during my time riding and still actively partake in the club lifestyle and still ride under a patch. It is definitely something I would recommend to fellow riders, although finding a club that fits proves difficult some times.

I started this blog to share a glimpse into the lifestyle with those who are yet to experience the thrills of riding. I love to share travel stories with fellow riders and close friends. This blog is my way of sharing my joy, my passion with others, regardless of choice in how to commute. Luckily I was joined by a good friend of mine. A friend I’ve known since high school, now also a fellow rider, joins me in sharing stories of the perfect ride.

Anxiety on Wheels

Anxiety on Wheels, and Dusty Leafblower.

Since I was a lad, I’ve always had a knack for leaning towards the not-so-normal. Something that would rattle my bones and shake my day into an upside down perfect mess, chaos in harmony. I found that in biking. The rush of air past your head, the warmth from the engine on your knees, that sinking feeling as you hold on for dear life when you pull that clown lever (throttle)… Something that could easily kill me? That keeps me alive.

My first steed was a Honda CBF 125 cc, fuel injected. A light, agile and as beautiful as newly born kudu (also ran like one). under the cover of darkness it was taken from me, but luckily I had insurance. When they paid out, I went hunting for my next adrenaline injection.

My new steed(the second of three), is a yellow and black Suzuki RF 400 cc in the form of a hungry, noisy, nimble beast known simply as “Dodgy”. Hell hath no fury like a Dodgy yellow beastie.

Unfortunately “Dodgy” too had been nicked by the criminal underbelly of society. A hard lesson now well learnt. But no distress shall keep me from a passion, as fury is re-imagined as a loud, leaf blower-like, dust-kicking V-twin 400 cc Honda Bros.

Mechanical MacGyver

Mechanical MacGyver testing the 2017 Suzuki Hayabusa.

Although not much of a writer, Mechanical MacGyver definitely plays an integral role in our Bike Addict blog. He is the Man, the Myth and the Legend that has introduced both myself and Anxiety on Wheels to the life of biking.

Not only a riding partner, but also our backyard mechanic. Mechanical MacGyver is the backyard Yoda, who trained myself and Anxiety on Wheels in the fine art of motorcycle maintenance and repair. The Little Yellow Monster, Dodgy, and Dusty Leafblower owe their continued existence to the patience, skill and care of Mechanical MacGyver.

Prospective crew

If you would like to become part of the Bike Addict crew, please get in touch with us using our contact page. We would like to have collaborators from all over the globe.

The Bike Addict Crew

About Us

Bike addict is a blog highlighting both the ups and downs of the motorcycling lifestyle. Note that the author and contributing authors write from a personal perspective, therefore the content of this page reflects solely the views of the authors and cannot at all times be deemed to provide an accurate representation of the information as a whole.

Follow Blog via Email

Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.